The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1887-08-20
origin AND END OF wOR Ids.
A. Abl, Pepper BY . French s.v.nt,

An Able Pap~E BY = FFsneh saVant'
Translated for tSs scientific and Mining Press.
The following is an extract from y
recent lecture by the eminent French
astronomer, g. Flamari"n:
How many years has the sun been
reyolvingl On the hypothesis that
pebulous matter may have been in its
origin of extreme tenuity, the guam
tiry IF heat engendered by the fall of
ali these maitcules toward the center
which has pioduced the solar system,
hns been calculated. Granting that
the specific heat of the condensing
mass NAV have been that of wstsr. the
heat of condensation would have suf-
feed To produce an elevation of tenn.
peruture of 28, 900, 900 degrees Cent?
arade tHelmholiz and TyndslD.
1t has long been known that
HEAT rs ONLY MODE OF MOTION;
II is an inf0itesimal, vibratory move
ment of the atoms, ail heat converting
itself into motion. and all motion into
heat. This condensation sutfi" land
much marc) To lix the present temper
ature of the sun and the original tenn
perature Of all the planets. If this
brilliant star continues c"ndensing. aS
is possible. condensation that should
diminish It's diameter by 2-i0O0 ot
actual longitude would cngcndcr =
quantity ef heat sufficient to cover the
lnss of the emission during 2000 years.
In the present degree of emission. the
solar heat produced by the former con-
deusatnn of its mass would still last
2O,O00, 900 years. The measure of time
exacipd tor the condensation which
the prmatye nebula underwent to
form our planetary system
DEFIEs oUR IMAGIsATToN.
To compute IL 10y thousands Of mil
lions wO nd be no exag9eration. The
experiments If Bischof upon the basslt
seem to prove that in or,ler To pass
from the liquid To the solid state. and
to cool from 20O0 degrees to 600. has
required for our globe 350, 900. 900
years. Tie sun had already existed
many other millions of centuries.
What is all the history of humanity in
comparison with such pcriodf A
bubise on the ocean. During thous-
ands OF centurirs the terrestrial globe
rolled in space like an immense chem
ical laboratory. A perpetual deluge
of boling water WAS falling from the
cloud, upon the rc,l.hpt surface aud
WAS ascending in vapors To the a,mos-
phere Ia fall again. When the tenn
perature came io be less than that of
boiliug water. the vapor liqueted and
was precipitated. In the midst of
these irightiul tempests. the terrestrial
crust btnkcn thousands at times by
the convulsinns 0f the central tire -
was vomiting flames and WAS being
solidified; the surging volcanoes were
making elevations above the levels OF
the h0t seas, and the first islands ap.
peared. The primars semi-fluid COM
blnatlOns of carbon formed rudimen-
tary
ATTEMPTS AT LIFE,
A substance which hardly deserves the
name of organic, rs il WAS not merely
mineral. nor yet vegetable, nor AMI
NAL. The primitive plants-the alga
which hnat inert upon the ocean
were now in progress. The primative
animsls--the zooplIytes, the elemental
mollusks, the corals and medus9-
wero likewise in process Of formation
lnsensibly, from century to century
the planet lost its roughness, the CON.
dltions Of life were perfected, beings
multiplied, differing from the primi
i k, gaining organs, at frs
nd rudimentary, but subss
developed and perfected. Il